1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to air pressure valves and gauges and more particularly pertains to a new automatic tire gauge for indicating levels of air pressure within a tire.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of air pressure valves and gauges is known in the prior art. More specifically, air pressure valves and gauges heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art air pressure valves and gauges include U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,177 to Wu et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,670 to Wu et al.; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 336,735 to Nulsen; U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,697 to Hunt et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,395 to Jard; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,925 to Crutcher.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new automatic tire gauge. The inventive device includes a cylindrical housing having a closed upper end an open lower end. The open lower end is internally threaded for mating with external threads on a standard tire valve stem. An outer portion of the cylindrical housing is transparent. A mounting bracket is disposed inwardly of the open lower end of the cylindrical housing. The mounting bracket has a protrusion extending downwardly therefrom for contacting a valve needle of the standard tire valve stem. A calibrated spring is secured to and extends upwardly from the mounting bracket. The spring has a calibrated tension corresponding to a specific tire pressure. A pressure indicator is secured to an upper free end of the calibrated spring. The pressure indicator comprises a cylindrical member disposed interiorly of the cylindrical housing. The cylindrical member has pressure indicating indicia thereon. The cylindrical member is biased upwardly in an extended orientation for being viewed through the transparent outer portion when the tire is properly pressurized.
In these respects, the automatic tire gauge according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of indicating levels of air pressure within a tire.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of air pressure valves and gauges now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new automatic tire gauge construction wherein the same can be utilized for indicating levels of air pressure within a tire.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new automatic tire gauge apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the air pressure valves and gauges mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new automatic tire gauge which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art air pressure valves and gauges, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a cylindrical housing having a closed upper end and an open lower end. The open lower end is internally threaded for mating with external threads on a standard tire valve stem. An outer portion of the cylindrical housing is transparent. An inner portion has a first color shade on an exterior surface thereof. A mounting bracket is disposed inwardly of the open lower end of the cylindrical housing. The mounting bracket has a protrusion extending downwardly therefrom for contacting a valve needle of the standard tire valve stem. A calibrated spring is secured to and extends upwardly from the mounting bracket. The spring has a calibrated tension corresponding to a specific tire pressure. A pressure indicator is secured to an upper free end of the calibrated spring. The pressure indicator is comprised of a cylindrical member disposed interiorly of the cylindrical housing. The cylindrical member has a second shade of color disposed thereon. The cylindrical member is biased upwardly in an extended orientation for being viewed through the transparent outer portion when the tire is properly pressurized. The cylindrical member descends within the cylindrical housing when the tire is not properly pressurized thereby exposing the first shade of color of the cylindrical housing.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new automatic tire gauge apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the air pressure valves and gauges mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new automatic tire gauge which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art air pressure valves and gauges, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new automatic tire gauge which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new automatic tire gauge which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new automatic tire gauge which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such automatic tire gauge economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new automatic tire gauge which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new automatic tire gauge for indicating levels of air pressure within a tire.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new automatic tire gauge which includes a cylindrical housing having a closed upper end an open lower end. The open lower end is internally threaded for mating with external threads on a standard tire valve stem. An outer portion of the cylindrical housing is transparent. A mounting bracket is disposed inwardly of the open lower end of the cylindrical housing. The mounting bracket has a protrusion extending downwardly therefrom for contacting a valve needle of the standard tire valve stem. A calibrated spring is secured to and extends upwardly from the mounting bracket. The spring has a calibrated tension corresponding to a specific tire pressure. A pressure indicator is secured to an upper free end of the calibrated spring. The pressure indicator comprises a cylindrical member disposed interiorly of the cylindrical housing. The cylindrical member has pressure indicating indicia thereon. The cylindrical member is biased upwardly in an extended orientation for being viewed through the transparent outer portion when the tire is properly pressurized.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.